Thursday, March 27, 2008

I've been thinking for a long time now, about becoming a vegetarian. And to be honest...it scares me to death. I feel as if I'm pretty close to being one already, and I honestly think I'd enjoy the food better. So what's holding me back?

Cookouts with cheeseburgers and family members. I'm French...being vegetarian just isn't "normal." Of course, having a brother who's been vegetarian for a year now will help somewhat...at least the term 'vegetarian' isn't so bizarre and "out there" as if I came in at first. Kudos to him for not caring what people think!

Okay, BUT, I'm different...I don't think I can do this cold-turkey, so I'm going about it the slow and easy way. I'm still drinking milk and eating eggs, and I'm still allowing myself "one slip-up" a week to cover for those random cookouts or eating out, or when a meaty meal that I just happen to enjoy comes around (such as salmon on the grill or burgers at a family cookout.) Maybe someday I'll reach the point where I can actually call myself a vegetarian. But for now...I'll just wean my way into the new culinary experience.

How has my family reacted to this new decision of "meat only once a week?" To be honest, I haven't told them yet. I have this funny fealing its going to come up this week though, considering we have more then one "meat meal" planned (sausages, ham&corn chowder, cod, and hotdogs and beans.)

On to lunch. I came back from a 5-mile run, feeling absolutely wonderful. I had a large breakfast this morning, and a starchy meal last night, which resulted in a ton of energy. I love that feeling. :D After coming back, I wanted something fresh and light, so I had the rest of the kashi crackers and a huge salad that was made up of spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers, an orange, 2 egg whites, garbanzo beans, and Annie's Organic Raspberry Vinaigrette...everything hit the spot, and I'm nice and full now.

I should get back to work...I've been sleeping just a tad bit later in the mornings now which I think is actually helping me be even more productive then normal. I'm a big morning person, but an extra hour of sleep is sometimes exactly what a person needs to stay focused for the day. :)

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

What's better then saucy veggies and pasta, sprinkled with parmesan cheese? My family indulged in an Italian night of a meaty sauce that had more sausages and beef then a person would know what to do with. My family is generally very conservative when it comes to eating meat...we eat it only on occasion, mostly because the meals we love just happen not to have meat in them (such as mac&cheese, lasagna, spaghetti, and things like that...)I decided to skip over the "overly meaty sauce" and make my own concoction. I went with a can of diced tomatoes, garlic, basil, oregano, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, sweet red pepper, 1/2 c. garbanzo beans, parmesan cheese, some hot sauce, and pasta. It turned out delicious, and was exactly what I was in the mood for. On the side I also had a salad, and I felt so full of fresh, good food and energy! :DPerfect meal to keep me going through a night of studying...:)...oh...and biggest loser as my study break, of course! :D

Saturday, March 22, 2008

I had breakfast with my sister at my absolute favoritest breakfast place, and decided to go all out when ordering. :D Before heading out, I had a banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter to hold me over, and I'm glad I did. We waited about 1-1/2 hours just to get seated because of how busy the restaurant gets, and it was nice having that bit of energy and food to hold me over. :)What did I order? A lil' of everything. haha...I couldn't decide what I wanted, but considering the place makes their own maple syrup, I had to get something paired with that. So I chose a pumpkin pancake. I also had to try their maple baked beans, and an egg along with some hash browns on the side (these are amazing,) and 1/2 of the homemade sourdough bread that is the most amazing and delicious breakfast treat. *sigh*...So yep, the breakfast was definitely worth "splurging" on and waiting for. :D I ate every last bite and enjoyed it immensely. While there, I also bought some maple tea which I'm really excited about trying. :) Today was the perfect weekend finale to my spring vacation...:D

Friday, March 21, 2008

I served myself one of my favorite lunches today, and was so full by the end that I couldn't even eat my bowl of fruit. It's okay though, because it will make the perfect topping in a bowl of yogurt for a snack later...yum! :DSo what's inside that sandwich? 2 T. of dill hummus (my favorite savory flavor!), shredded carrot, and lots and lots of spinach. All toasted together for a wonderful mix of flavors, crunch, and nutrition. :)On the side I had some Annie's Whole Wheat bunny crackers, a large mish-mash of various veggies, and a glass of milk. This is one of those lunches that keeps me full for a long time, and is so much fun to eat because of all the different foods available to pick at and taste. :DHappy FRIDAY everyone! :)

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Eating out was fun! The company was the best part, and the food was, without trying to sound too negative, just okay. The asparagus was my favorite part, along with the pine nuts sprinkled on top. I never realized how much I really love pine nuts..soo good.I ate about halfway through the pasta before deciding I wasn't crazy for the lemon sauce...it could have used something, like parmesan for a boost of flavor maybe. But thats just me being too critical I think...haha...the toppings were delish, and I ate almost all the shrimp, asparagus and pine nuts. So all in all, it was a wonderful night, and a nice way to spend my spring vacation. :DHope everyone's having a good day as well! The weekend is almost here! :D

I'm going out to eat tonight, which I'm pretty excited about. I definitely don't eat out very often, but it seems that when I do, it all happens at once! I also have plans for breakfast with my sister on Saturday, at my absolute favorite breakfast place. And Sunday is, of course, Easter! All this great food, all at once...I better enjoy it before school starts up again and I'm back to preparing quick lunches on the fly. :DFor lunch I ate the leftovers from last night's supper, 1/2 a large sweet potato with ketchup, and a glass of milk. In case you couldn' tell, the ketchup "design" was a feeble attempt at spelling my name, but I only made it half way across. haha...Have a great Thursday everyone! :)(p.s. Just wanted to let everyone know that I won't be posting every meal/snack, so don't freak out if it seems I'm eating too little! I kind of decided not to make it a constant "this is what I eat" blog, even though I love reading everyone elses. I'll skip around from meals to meals, and post favorites and flops, snack ideas I've tried, dining out, meals on the run, breakfast-to-go, transportable "college meals," and other things like that....:)